Vegetable and fruit picker-table.



No. 862,865. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

E. A. GEA'M. VEGETAELE AND EEUIT EIGKEE TABLE.

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G. A. CRAM.

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GEORGE A. CRAM, OF RANDOLPH, WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

VEGETABLE AND FRUIT PICKER-TABLE.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application sied october 11,1906. serai Np. 338,334.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. CRAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Randolph, in the county of Columbia and State of Wisconsin,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vegetable and FruitPicker- Tables, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel construction ofpicker-table of the class employed for preparing small vegetables, suchas green peas, beans and the like, and small fruits, such asstrawberries, cherries, huckleberries and the like, for treatment beforecanning them, by feeding them to a traveling table on which an attendantspreads them to facilitate picking out imperfect ones and foreignmatter, such as pieces of leaf and pod, and stems.

Referring to the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a vie w of myimproved machine in side elevation; Fig. 2, a broken section taken atthe line 2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, aplan section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the directionof the arrow, and Fig. 4, a plan section taken at the line 4 on Fig. 1and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

On a 'suitable frame 5 is rotatably mounted in horizontal position acircular table-top 6, which may be formed of sheet-metal or othersuitable material, and which is shown to be provided with a centralcircular boss 7 having pins 8 projecting' upward from it at intervalsnear its periphery. The rotary table is part way surrounded by a rim 9,which may be of wood, rigidly secured on the top of the frame and, likethe boss 7, projecting upward beyond the surface of the table to formabout the latter, with the circumferential edge of the boss, a depressedsurface. The table is carried by a vertical central shaft 10 journalediusuitable bearings on the frame and provided on its lower end with abeveled gear-wheel 11 adapted to mesh with a beveled pinion 12 on therotary horizontal drive-shaft 13, also suitably journaled on the frame5, and which is shown to be provided with belt-pulleys 14, adapted to begeared with any desired driving power (not shown). A hopper 15 issupported to discharge froml its lower end on the depressed surface ofthe table. As shown, this hopper is fastened between the forward ends ofparallel bars forming a sub-frame 16 and connected at their oppositeends by a vertical bar 17 adapted to be confined in parallel verticalguides 18 provided on the frame 5. By this preferred construction of thehopper-supporting means, the hopper may be readily applied to andremoved from the machine, or raised and. lowered to put the machine intoor out of operation. The open base of the hopper is covered by a bottom19, preferably tapering toward its forward edge, as shown, andsupported, to adapt it to be reciprocated longitudinally by straps 20secured to the lower edges of the members of the sub-frame 16 to extendtransversely across the movable bottom near its ends and there afford aseat for it. A coiled spring 21 is fastened at one end to a side-bar ofthe sub-frame 16 and at its opposite end to the adjacent wider rear edgeof the bottom 19, the inner end of which terminates in a recess 22 ofthe preferred rectangular shape shown in Fig. 3 to afford an advance end23 and an offset end 24 extending, under the tension of the spring 21,into the path of the circular series of pins 8. The forward oblique sideof the hopper is provided, adjacent to the movable bot. tom 19, with adischarge-opening 25, to cover which a valvei26 is provided to slideadjustably in guides provided in the sub-frame 16 for the purpose ofraising and lowering the valve to increase or decrease the size of thehopper discharge opening.

At the discharge end of the rotatory table is supported on the frame achute 27, adjacent to which a deflectorarm 28 is pivoted at one end tothe frame to bear at its opposite end against the boss 7.

The operation is as follows: Rotation of the shaft 13 by itsgear-connection with the shaft l0 rotates the table 6. In rotating, eachpin 8 in describing the arc of its rotation past the adjacent end of thebottom 19, first engages, by a cam-like action, the end 23, therebyforcing the bottom out of its path against the tension of the spring 21,until the pin clears that end, whereupon the recoil-force of the springshoots the bottom in the direction to bring its end 24 against said pin,which, in completing said arc, exerts a cam-like action against that endto force the bottom in the direction against the resistance of thespring 21. until the pin clears the bottom, when the latter again shootsforward under the recoilforce of its controlling spring, bringing itsends 23, 24 into position to be acted against, in the same manner, bythe 'next succeeding pin. Thus, each time a pin 8 passes the adjacentrecessed end of the bottom 19, it forcibly jogs the latter twice,according to the construction represented, which, however, may be suchas to cause each pin to jog the bottom, in clearing its end, only onceby providing the spring-pressed end without any recess, or more vthantwice by increasing the number of the recesses 22. The movement of thebottom 19 in the direction toward the pins 8 is limited by a stop 19t.The effect of the described jogging action on the movable bottom 19 isto shake the contents of the hopper in successive batches through itsdischarge-opening upon the rotating table, with the result of spreadingeach batch upon the table and thus facilitating the operation of pickingout foreign matter and imperfect fruit or vegetables, thus avoiding allnecessity on the part of the attendant for performing the spreadingoperation by hand, which is objectionable because tending to mash thematerial to be picked over, and which objection is entirely avoided bythe use of my improved machine.

The siuface of the rotating table is sufficient, at the speed ofrotation observed, to afford to the attendant,

or attendants, ample time to pick clean each batch of the material inits course from the'hopper to the discharge from the table into thechute 27, to which it is guided by the arm 28.

It is intended that a series of my improved pickertables shall be on onesufficiently long shaft 13, which Would then carry a plurality ofpinions 12, each to mesh with the gear 11 of a different table in theseries. It is desirable, particularly when a number of the tables arethus arranged to be operated by the one shaft 13, that it may be readilyreduced to an inoperative condition, or put out of commission. To thatend, I provide the pinion 12 with a collar 29 feathered to the shaft 13and connected with a lever 30 fulcrumed at 31 on the rear of the frameto project through a guide-loop 32 on the front-rail of the frame beyondthe latter and afford a handle 33. A spiral spring 34, surrounding theshaft 13, is confined against the collar 29 by an abutment 35 on theshalt. Whenever it is desired to put the ma- Chine out of commission,the lever 30 is turned, at its handle 33, in the direction to withdrawthe pinion 12 from the adjacent gear 11 against the resistance of thespring 34; and to hold the pinion in its disengaged position, I providea spring-catch 36, past which the lever is turned in effecting theWithdrawal and which works through a slot 37 in the strap 32 to obstructthe return of the lever. When it is desired to again put the machineinto operative condition, the catch 36 is raised to release the lever,whereupon the spring 34 returns it to the normal position in which thepinion meshes with the gear.

The more important feature of my improvement relates to jogging thematerial out of the hopper to effect, automatically, spreading thereofon a traveling conveyer, which need not be the rotary table `shown anddescribed, though the latter is the preferred form of conveyer.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a conveyer, a hopper provided with a laterallydischarging outlet over said conveyer, guides on the bottom side of saidhopper at its opposite sides, a bottom for said hopper reciprocablymounted in said guides, and means on said conveyor constructed andarranged to actuate said hopper-bottom.

2. In combination with a conveyor carrying a series of pins, a hopperprovided with a laterally-discharging outlet over said convcyer, guideson the bottom side of said hopper at its opposite sides, and aspring-pressed bottom for said hopper reciprocably mounted in saidguides and pro.

jecting into the path of said pins to be actuated by them in themovement of the conveyer.

3. In combination, a hopper provided with a laterallydischarging outlet,guides on the bottom side of said hopper, a bottom for said hopperreciprocably mounted in said guides, a coiled spring secured at one endto said hopper and at its opposite end to said bottom, and means formoving said bottom against the tension of said spring.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of arotatory table provided with a central boss carrying a circular seriesof pins, a raised rim about said table, a hopper having adischarge-opening and supported to discharge upon said table, and aspring-pressed reciprocable bottom for said hopper projecting into thepath of said pins to be actuated by them in the rotation of said table,for the purpose set forth.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with aframe, of a circular table rotatably supported on said frame andprovided with a central boss, a circular series of pins projecting fromsaid boss, a hopper having a discharge-opening and supported on saidframe to discharge upon said table, and a spring-pressed reciprocablebottom for said hopper having a recessed end at which it projects intothe path of said pins to be actuated by them in the rotation of thetable, for the purpose set forth.

G. In a machine of the character described, the combination with aframe, of a circular table rotatably supported on said frame andprovided with a central boss, a raised rim about said table, a circularseries of pins projecting from said boss, a hopper having adischarge-opening and adjustably supported on said frame to dischargeupon said table, and a spring-pressed reciprocable bottom for saidhopper having a recessed end at which it projects into the path of saidpins to be actuated by them in the rotation of the table, for thepurpose set forth.

'i'. In a machine of the character described, the combination with aframe, of a circular table rotatably supported on said frame andprovided with a central boss, a stationary raised rim extending partwayabout said table, a chute near one end of said rim and a dedector-armpivoted to said frame to extend against the edge of said boss, acircular series of pins projecting from said boss, a hopper having adischarge-opening and supported on said frame to discharge upon saidtable, and a spring-pressed reciprocablc bottom for said hopperprojecting into the path of said pins to be actuated by them in therotation of the table, for the purpose set forth.

S. In a machine of the character described, the combination with aframe, of a circular table, a vertical rotary shaft journaled on saidframe and carrying at its upper end said table and on its lower end abeveled gear, a circular series of pins on said table, a hopper having adischarge-opening and supported on the frame to discharge on said table,a spring-pressed recprocable bottom for said hopper' projecting at oneend into the path of said pins to be actuated by them in the rotation ofthe table, a driveshaft for the table, a beveled spring-pressed pinionreciprocably supported on said drive-shaft to mesh with said gear, and alcvcr fulcrumed on said frame and connected with said pinion for movingit.

GEORGE A. CRAM.

In presence of- J. O. JONES, C. H. BURBACH.

